Cutting half of the Comcast cord

So yesterday I called up Comcast to initiate a disconnect of my cable tv service.  I wanted to verify I could do so without affecting my internet service.  When I called up the woman asked me why I wanted to cancel?  I told her the service was just too expensive.

She said that she could handle the disconnect order but informed me there was a $40 disconnect charge.  I laughed out loud.  I said to her that I found it ironic that the reason I am dropping the service in the first place was that it was too expensive and that in order to get rid of the expensive service I am charged another ridiculous expense.  She said the charge was for the tech to come out and collect the equipment.  I told her “$40 to pull out two cable cards? I can easily do that myself”

I continued ranting, telling her that I was considering continuing to use Comcast for internet services at least but being told about yet another stupid charge makes me want to drop them altogether.  Sensing my anger the woman put me on hold to see what she could do.  After 30 seconds or so she comes back and gives me the good news that now the disconnect fee is no longer required.  She said a tech still has to be scheduled to get the cards AND put a filter on the line which would block tv signals while still allowing internet.

She said that the promo rate I got on the internet a month or so ago of $24.95 would be good until March of next year.  That is a good price so I would be dumb to change it right now.  However, after that promo expires the rate for their regular internet service (if you don’t also have tv) sky rockets up to $64.95 a month.  At that point I can either try to renegotiate a lower rate or kick them to the curb and get 10 megabit DSL for 40 a month.

I again took advantage of having Thursday off and scheduled the disconnect to happen first thing that morning.  Once it is disconnected I can go about connecting my new antenna to the house wiring and hope all goes well.

I read recently that Comcast lost something like 275,000 cable tv subscribers in just the third quarter alone. These defectors to satellite, internet streaming and OTA transmissions should send a loud and clear message to Comcast and the other cable giants.  We are sick and tired of getting billed huge dollars for cable tv packages where 90% of the channels have no interest to us. They need to wake up. Thursday is my independence day.